A group of Lancaster students are flying out to Africa on a three-week trip where they will be delivering sporting activities.
Eighteen students and five staff from Our Lady’s Catholic College will visit four partner schools in Uganda during the trip and will deliver a sports day in the style of the SPAR Lancashire School Games while on African soil.
A significant fundraising drive has taken place in the months leading up to the trip to fund sporting equipment that the group are taking out to Uganda, some of which will be used in delivery of the sports day.
Also being donated are SPAR Lancashire School Games T-shirts in multiple different colours respective to each region of the Red Rose County where the games take place, and these will be used by the children to compete in.
The visit is the latest development in the project that Our Lady's Catholic College have been running with the four partner schools in Uganda for over 10 years.
This year, over £20,000 has been raised towards school resources, the building of a new STEM centre, and the development of sports facilities.
Year 12 student Darcy Stanbridge, age 17, said: “We have been fundraising a lot throughout the year with a concert and non-uniform days for the Ugandan project and it is exciting that the day has come to fly out there. I’m really looking forward to supporting the pupils with their sports day.”
Tom Lewis, age 17, also in Year 12, said: “I’m relishing the opportunity to visit a new country through a project that is going to benefit people. It will be a chance to learn a lot of new skills, especially social skills, and public speaking, and share experiences about life in the UK.”
Harry Cody, a teacher at Our Lady’s Catholic College who is leading the trip, said: “Both the staff and children are incredibly excited to be going on this once in a lifetime mission to Uganda where we will spend 20 days.
“During the trip we are delivering a sports day for 140 Year 5 and 6 Ugandan children. We have included events like the sprint, while at the same time adapted traditional activities like the egg and spoon race to a tennis racquet and ball race. This will enable us to utilise some of the large amount of sports equipment we are taking over to donate.”
Steven Jamieson, School Games Organiser for the Lancaster area who is based at Our Lady’s Catholic College, said: “The trip will be absolutely amazing for the staff and students travelling out to Africa, and it is fantastic that students are going to be supporting their Ugandan peers in their physical activity through a sports day.
“I am also delighted that the excess of SPAR Lancashire School Games T-shirts that are now dated with old branding are being to put to good use in Uganda and they will add a kaleidoscope of colour to the occasion. Our Lady’s Catholic College is taking the games international, and I cannot wait to see photos of the sports day!”
The Lancashire School Games are run by Active Lancashire and the School Games Organiser Network and have been sponsored by SPAR through its association with James Hall & Co. Ltd since 2006. In 2022-23, the Games engaged 24,000 children in sport and activities across Lancashire through 23 feature events and competitions.
For more information about the Lancashire School Games, please visit the website at: www.lancashireschoolgames.co.uk
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